Chapter Forty-Five WITCHING MOON

Chapter Forty-Five

WITCHING MOON

Week Three, Day Eight

Year 3000

Dinner in the garden had been a wonderful idea.

The High Court, along with a select few others, had already gathered at Dragon's Keep for practical purposes. Sachi had meant to offer them respite from their strategy meetings. A bit of peace after their grim task.

So she'd asked Camlia to have a long table moved into the consort's garden. Ash had indulged her with torches, and their light blazed merrily around the party, lighting and warming the cool spring night. Sachi had asked the cook for little specialties from every corner of the Sheltered Lands, so everyone could feel at home.

And now, looking at their smiling faces and hearing their laughter ring through her garden like bells, it was so, so worth it.

Because the meeting had been grim, indeed. Elevia and Nyx had received their first reports out of Sorin's former Empire, and the place was in shambles . With their despotic ruler removed, the kingdoms had broken apart.

The Ice Queen had withdrawn to her fortified island kingdom in the north. No one knew what was happening in the lands farthest away, to the west. The Seducer had fled the battle and was presumably still alive. He might have retreated to Vinke, but no one had seen or heard of him in the days since. And with the deaths of both the Shapechanger and the Beast, the Stalker now controlled all territory between Kasther and the Sheltered Lands.

All of these disparate situations had the potential to be dangerous, but it was the state of Kasther that truly worried Sachi. The city had splintered into warring factions, some led by former generals of Sorin's army, still others by newly awakened Dreamers and Void-born. By all accounts, the huge city-state had fallen into chaos and violent confusion.

Because Sachi had broken their chains. She could not imagine waking up like that, with no idea of what was happening to her. Even the ones not suddenly flooded with the full power of the Dream or the Void would have felt different , their eyes opened for the first time. So much turmoil. Fear. So many of them must have thought they were going mad.

And Sachi had done that to them. That she'd had no other choice would be cold comfort to many, and who could blame them?

But they would make it right. The High Court had already decided on clear, actionable steps to address the issue.

First, they would send an envoy to Gwynira. She had allied herself to their cause once, in order to help stop Sorin. Perhaps she would be willing to do it again, if it meant saving the Empire's people.

Second, the rest of the High Court would travel into the war-torn kingdoms, their mission threefold: to calm the chaos, find the newborn gods, and—hopefully—eliminate what was left of Sorin's dark court.

But those fights were for tomorrow. Tonight was reserved for celebration, for being close to one another, for friendship and love. Sachi looked around, studying each face at the table.

Ash sat on Sachi's left, carrying on an intense conversation with Dianthe. She had brought guests—the Kraken and Naia, the godling who had accompanied Sachi and Zanya on their initial voyage to Dragon's Keep.

They sat beside her, bickering over a shared platter of oysters.

"Water shouldn't sparkle ," Einar grumbled. "You'll make people think the sea isn't to be respected."

Naia just laughed. "Well, if they're going to think silly things like that, they can kiss my ass."

Farther down, Elevia sat with Ulric, their heads bent together over a map from her archives. The Eastern Waste, if Sachi wasn't mistaken. Elevia had proclaimed it as good a place as any to stage a thorough survey of the former Empire.

She'd also refused to stop strategizing long enough for dinner.

"It's the only place there might be actual wildlife left," Ulric muttered, running his finger over the map. "From what I can tell, every other place on this damn continent has either been built on or stripped for resources."

"We'll add it to our list of priorities," Elevia promised.

The Raven Guard had taken up the opposite end of the table and were currently debating who had won their drinking contest. Next to them, Aleksi sat, quietly pushing his food around his plate and sipping his wine. Sachi watched him until he looked up and caught her gaze. He attempted a smile, then tilted his head when she raised an eyebrow.

He hadn't been the same since the battle in the Empire, when Varoka had robbed him of his powers. Because she hadn't simply taken his strength, she'd temporarily severed his connection—to the world, to the Dream, to love itself.

Ash had tried to talk to him about that horrible battle, but Aleksi had thus far refused his overtures. Sachi wasn't surprised. She knew what it was like to be cut off from a part of yourself. She was learning to move past it, and so would Aleksi.

In time. And until he was ready to open up, they would help him in other ways—with silent support, and a friendship so warm and fathomless he would always remember that they were there for him.

Beside Aleksi, Inga and Zanya flanked a somewhat abashed-looking Lyssa. They had both hovered over her since her arrival at the keep, Zanya especially. A fierce protectiveness for the woman burned in her chest, one that Sachi understood.

Before Lyssa, Zanya had only known two things born of the Void: herself, and her Terrors. Lyssa's manifestation was a very real indication that, despite the harsh words of Nikkon and the other priests in the capital, Zanya was not alone.

Sachi smiled. Zanya would march back into the fallen Empire, gather every Void-born godling she could find, and tuck them under her wing like a mother hen.

I love you, Sachi whispered.

Zanya looked up, her gaze swinging unerringly to Sachi. A surge of love flooded back at her, clearer than any words.

Ash leaned into Sachi, his lips brushing her ear. "You were right. This was just what we needed."

At the other end of the table, Isolde groaned and glared at her brother. "Remi ate all the fire grapes," she announced. "The special ones from Aleksi's vineyard."

Sachi placed her finger on Ash's lips. "Hold that thought, just for a moment."

Then she reached through the Dream and asked the world for a favor. Just a small one, but it was such a new sensation that it took the span of several heartbeats for Sachi to wordlessly explain what she needed.

A large bunch of fire grapes, fiery red and still attached to their stems, fell out of the night sky to land on Isolde's plate.

At first, everyone simply stared at the grapes. Then Isolde laughed, seized one, and popped it into her mouth. "Perfect!" she exclaimed. "Thank you, my lady."

Inga rested her chin in her palm and stared at Sachi. "You get more fascinating by the day. Ash certainly did well by us."

"I was rather selfishly only trying to do well by myself," Ash retorted. "But I am pleased that you are pleased, darling."

Inga smiled and turned back to Zanya, and Ash tilted Sachi's face up to his. "She's right, you know," he murmured. "You get more amazing by the day."

"What a lovely thing to say." But she didn't need the words when she could feel it all, simmering in her breast like a fire in a hearth. "I think you should kiss me."

He did. Sachi felt the darkness and heat of his love, and the silken, shadowy press of Zanya's emotions, as well. They swirled together, a concoction headier than any wine, and Sachi sighed into Ash's mouth.

Tomorrow, they would fight. Tonight, they needed to remind themselves what they were fighting for.